The People Behind Kehilla

This group of passionate individuals are dedicated to helping the Jewish community  improve their quality of life through affordable housing.

Together, we have broad expertise across development, program management, law, finance and communications.

Kehilla Staff

Click on each name to learn
more about our team members.

  • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Lisa Lipowitz is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Kehilla. With over 40 years of experience serving the Jewish Community, Lisa has been an integral part of Kehilla’s growth since 1988.

    Beyond her ongoing responsibilities for day-to-day operations, her position as Executive Director includes collaborating with other community agencies, pursuing development partners, fundraising and government relations, while always seeking new affordable housing opportunities within Toronto’s Jewish community.

  • BOOKKEEPER

    Marsha is responsible for the agency’s financial reporting for all Kehilla’s operations. 

    Among her many responsibilities, Marsha works in tandem with the Agency Support Coordinator and the RAP Administrative Assistant to ensure RAP recipients receive their funds.

  • Agency Support & Rental Assistance Program Manager

    Marla plays many roles.  She coordinates the delivery of the Rental Assistance Program (RAP) and is the first contact with RAP clients.  Marla is responsible for the administrative functions of the organization, keeping Kehilla’s fundraising on track, and works with the Events Committee to organize all our awareness-raising events.

  • SPECIAL PROGRAMS MANAGER

    Arnold works to obtain grants for the development and implementation of added value programs for Kehilla’s tenants and recipients of the Rental Assistance Program (RAP). With over 40 years of experience working in the Jewish Community, Arnold has been instrumental in the creation of many innovative programs and services for seniors.

Directors

Click on each name to learn
more about our team members.

  • PAST PRESIDENT — Kehilla Affordable Housing

    Adam is a real estate executive with 25 years of experience across multiple disciplines, including numerous asset classes, acquisitions and dispositions, syndications, financing, development, leasing, and consulting. Now a partner at a private firm, Adam was a principal at NOVI Properties, a private multi-residential firm, and acquisitions manager at CanFirst Capital Management. 

    Growing up as a grandchild of Holocaust survivors made Adam acutely aware of the importance and fragility of preserving one’s Jewish identity and values, as well as the importance of safe shelter.  The number of vulnerable Jewish households facing housing insecurity in the city is alarming and continues to grow.

  • PRESIDENT — Kehilla Affordable Housing

    Brenda Izen has been an active member of Kehilla since 2011, serving on its board and Executive Committee and co-chairing the Events and Marketing Committees. Brenda is the founding principal of Izen Architecture, a Toronto-based, all-female firm specializing in the design of single-family homes.

    Brenda believes that the Jewish community has a beautiful tradition of unity, coming together to support those in need. As Toronto grapples with a worsening housing crisis, the staggering number of individuals struggling to afford a home is a call to action. Kehilla is uniquely positioned to drive meaningful change, empowering us to support and uplift our own community with compassion and purpose.

  • MEMBER AT LARGE — Kehilla Affordable Housing

    PRESIDENT —  Project MARC, Avenel and  Moshav Orr

    VICE PRESIDENT — Kehilla Homes Inc.

    David is a Senior Vice President of Canlight Management Inc., a mid-sized property management company that focuses on boutique condo services. David has worked on all types of properties including residential, office, industrial, and retail. He is a firm believer in overperforming for his clients and has a reputation as a bit of a perfectionist. In his 25 years volunteering with Kehilla, David brings with him almost 40 years of real estate expertise and a deep commitment to housing issues.  David is extremely passionate about housing issues and ensuring that everyone in our community is housed with dignity..  . In addition to Kehilla, David sits on several not-for-profit boards and is the Membership Chair of his synagogue.

  • TREASURER — Kehilla Affordable Housing, MARC, Avenel, Moshav Orr and Kehilla Homes Inc.

    Eli is an audit and advisory Partner at Crowe Soberman LLP in midtown Toronto. He provides not only assurance services, but also advises his clients on business matters, including taxation, operations, organization structuring and transition planning.

    Eli has a passion for working to help his clients be successful.  He enjoys the professional side of what he does, as well as the relationships and friends accumulated over the years!

    Eli enjoys working with the staff and Board members at Kehilla to help those in need. He believes in providing affordable housing and enabling those in need to build their lives.

  • VICE PRESIDENT — Kehilla Affordable Housing

    Lirad cares deeply about affordable housing and has been involved with Kehilla for nearly a decade.  He is an experienced real estate professional with over a decade of real estate sale, marketing and development experience and is a partner at The Yorkville Team with Forest Hill Real Estate, a luxury real estate sales team that specializes in prestige properties throughout Toronto.

    Following his completion of the MBA program from the Schulich School of Business in Real Estate and Infrastructure, Lirad worked at a prominent Toronto real estate development firm and amassed a wealth of experience by managing projects with an aggregate value of over $1B. Lirad has also been involved with UJA Federation and the Art Gallery of Ontario.

  • BOARD CHAIR — Kehilla Homes Inc.

    DIRECTOR — MARC, Avenel, and Moshav Orr

    Harvey Taraday has volunteered with Kehilla in various capacities since 2004 and believes that all families must have and deserve a safe and stable family home environment. I volunteer for the organization to help facilitate the creation of opportunities to provide affordable housing alternatives for the Jewish community. Currently Harvey is the President of Kehilla Homes and serves on the Avenel, MARC and Moshav Boards

    Harvey is a partner with TCH Partners LLP. In Toronto providing accounting, assurance and advisory services for privately held and family business clients, He is a member of CPA Ontario, CPA Canada, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, Canadian Tax Foundation, Family Enterprise Exchange, Family Firm Institute, Purposeful Planning Institute and Canadian Association of Management Consultants.

  • SECRETARY — MARC, Avenel, Moshav Orr, Kehilla Homes Inc.

    Jay has been actively involved in the property management and real estate development industry for over two decades. At The Brown Group of Companies Inc., Jay oversees a diverse portfolio of residential apartment buildings, commercial and retail spaces, and high-rise construction and land development projects.  Jay is proud to sit on the  Kehilla Homes,  Avenel, MARC, and Moshav Orr boards and offer his knowledge and experience to their affordable housing initiatives.

    Jay believes that volunteering with Kehilla provides an opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of over 300 households.   It’s more than just helping out – it provides stability to families in need, actively improves the lives of the tenants as well as strengthens our community as a whole; a community is stronger and more efficiently run when its members can live with a sense of security.

  • DIRECTOR — Kehilla Affordable Housing

    Naama Blonder co-founded Smart Density with a bold vision for redefining housing in Toronto. An architect, urban designer, and planner, she advocates for inclusive, affordable neighborhoods. Her award-winning work, recognized with the Ontario Association of Architects’ Best Emerging Practice Award, informs residents and industry peers about the benefits of diverse housing: improved affordability, access to transit, and vibrant communities..

    For Naama, Kehilla's values align with her commitment to making cities more inclusive and livable for everyone. Naama believes in taking a proactive approach to tackle housing challenges, and Kehilla’s work with affordable housing is a powerful, community-centered way to address those issues directly. Naama lives her values, raising her family in a multi-family building in a transit-friendly part of Toronto, where the local park serves as their backyard.

  • DIRECTOR — Kehilla Affordable Housing

    Avi has been working in the technology field since he started his career, most recently working in the Cyber field for a large financial institution. Volunteering with Kehilla is important to me as I am the son of a holocaust survivor and know first hand the struggles that the Jewish community goes through. Being part of the Kehilla family allows me to help those that are less fortunate find a home in the community they are a part of.

  • DIRECTOR — Kehilla Affordable Housing

    Noah is a Commercial Real Estate lawyer practicing at a full-service regional firm based in Toronto. He advises his clients, including home builders and developers, on all aspects of real estate law, including commercial sales and acquisitions, development, financing, social and affordable housing, and leasing. Noah frequently participates as a mentor as part of his firm’s articling and summer student programs. Before law, Noah worked as a policy analyst for the Province of Ontario.

    Noah believes that having a safe and secure place to call home is foundational to relieving poverty within any community, including Toronto’s Jewish community.

  • DIRECTOR — Kehilla Affordable Housing

    Sean's professional focus has been in building a family office and private investment management firm,  concentrating  on capital deployment in alternative asset classes heavily leaning towards real estate. Real estate was always Sean’s passion and today he manages and operates a private real estate investment firm focused on commercial and residential real estate assets and development in addition to managing a portfolio of alternative assets within a multi-family office. 

    Sean believes that giving back to a community that he is a part of both professionally and personally is a meaningful endeavor and his priority. 

  • DIRECTOR — Kehilla Affordable Housing

    David is a commercial real estate agent and associate at Marcus & Millichap Canada, focusing on midtown Toronto. David supports Kehilla’s strategic planning with unique insights. David fosters community and leadership among young professionals. David chairs Kehilla’s young leadership program, coordinating quarterly industry networking and educational events to expand Kehilla’s reach. He has a  community focus and a passion for partnerships.  

    David volunteers with Kehilla  because it allows him to support vulnerable individuals facing housing insecurity and address our city’s housing crisis.

  • DIRECTOR — Kehilla Affordable Housing

    In her role as Director, Affordable Housing and Corporate Social Responsibility, Jenn supports the strategic development and direction of Greenwin's affordable housing initiatives and spearheads the company's corporate social responsibility projects. Working with the community and stakeholders, she facilitates a deeper understanding of the intricacies of affordable housing, from inception through to construction and management. 

    Since joining Greenwin in 2015, Jenn has stood at the forefront of maintaining Greenwin's status as a leader in both corporate social responsibility and customer service. Through her work with Greenwin Cares, Jenn supports a broad range of community revitalization projects. She lives by the principle that it's our duty to leave a place better than we found it, guiding her team to always act with that principle in mind. 

    As the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, Jenn is  especially honored to be part of an organization that helps survivors remain in their homes with dignity and independence, through rental assistance and compassionate support.

  • DIRECTOR — Kehilla Affordable Housing

    Sarah had a 20-year career with the Ontario Public Service where she held senior management and executive positions in the Ministry of the Environment working on climate change policy, air quality issues and to modernize Ontario’s environmental assessment programs.

    As a Director of the Sarah and Cary Lavine Family Foundation, Sarah is focusing her efforts to support affordable housing development in southern Ontario.  She has recently become a citizen developer of missing middle housing in Toronto.

    Sarah believes that Kehilla, with its rental assistance program, helps those in need now and has done for many years.  Kehilla is also actively engaging the broader Jewish community on how to help more people access affordable housing.  That is challenging work, and for Sarah,  as a volunteer supporting this effort in any small way that I can, is meaningful.

  • DIRECTOR — Kehilla Affordable Housing

    Aaron is a partner at Loopstra Nixon LLP where he practices various aspects of real property law with a focus on land use planning and development issues.  Working side-by-side with real estate counsel, urban planners, architects and engineers, Aaron provides both strategic and legal advice to landowners, industrial operators, title insurers and residential and commercial developers both large and small.  Aaron has also served numerous terms on the Executive of the Ontario Bar Association’s Municipal Section and Real Estate Section together with several committees of the Urban Land Institute.

    Aaron is married to Dr. Amy Platt, the Head of School for the Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School and has two wonderful children: Avery (17) and Brooke (13).

  • DIRECTOR — Kehilla Affordable Housing

    Daniel is a professional urban planner with experience in both the public and private sector throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Daniel enjoys the interconnected nature of urban planning, solving problems, and seeing high level plans and policies come to fruition in the real world. In addition to working with a variety of clients in the private sector, Daniel taught in the urban studies program at York University and appreciates any opportunity to guest lecture and talk about cities.

     Daniel believes in the work that Kehilla does and providing affordable housing to the  community is of the utmost importance. The country, province, and city are in a housing crisis and those without the means to access housing need any support we can offer.

  • DIRECTOR — Kehilla Affordable Housing

    Danny has been telling Canadian real estate stories for more than two decades. As the president of Brandon Communications, Danny  has helped pre-construction developers, resale brokers and commercial firms make (and avoid) headlines, as the industry's preferred public relations provider. He is also the founder and publisher of STOREYS, Canada's most read (and most trusted) daily, digital real estate news site.                                                                                               

    While Toronto's housing affordability crisis is making headlines every day, its impact on at-risk members of the Jewish community is a story that is far less known.  Kehila's understanding of the challenges facing the most vulnerable among us and the organization's determined efforts to create awareness, raise funds and offer shelter to those in need is a commitment that I am proud to support.

  • DIRECTOR — Kehilla Affordable Housing

    Maurice is a real estate developer and the founder and president of Fora Developments. He previously founded Collecdev, where he served as president, shaping the company's vision and growth. Maurice also held the role of Vice President of Development at Shiplake Properties, overseeing the development of a significant purpose-built rental portfolio that focused on community impact and sustainable growth. 

    Volunteering with Kehilla allows Maurice to further support affordable housing initiatives within the Jewish community and beyond. Collaborating with passionate people dedicated to social justice and inclusivity, I feel connected to a purpose-driven network that values housing needs and the overall well-being of vulnerable community members.

  • DIRECTOR — MARC, Avenel, and Moshav Orr

    Pam has over 15 years of cross functional real estate experience focusing on asset management, transaction execution, and strategic planning across multiple asset classes. Pam currently leads the Asset Management function of a real estate portfolio of income producing and residential development assets on behalf of institutional and private real estate investors. Previously, she led the Canadian Residential Asset Management team at a large pension plan where she oversaw a portfolio of over 6,000 residential units.

     Pam believes thatKehilla plays a crucial role in our community and significantly impacts people's lives. Kehilla has established itself as a leader in providing affordable housing. Pam believes that being able to lend her experience to such an incredible organization and collaborate with a dedicated team committed to its mission is truly a privilege.

  • DIRECTOR — MARC, Avenel, and Moshav Orr

    Eveline is a long-time volunteer with Kehilla.  Professionally, Eveline worked as a Pharmacist.  Eveline was a volunteer with National Council of Jewish Women and  was a puppeteer with Kids on the Block and delivered Meals on Wheels. Eveline’s volunteerism with Kehilla is very diverse, serving as Treasurer and President.  Eveline currently sits on the MARC, Avenel, and Moshav Orr Boards. 

    Eveline believes in giving back to the community.  She is  a child Holocaust survivor and knows what it’s like to be poor. Eveline gives back because there was no help when she and  her parents came  to Canada.

  • DIRECTOR — MARC, Avenel, and Moshav Orr

    Edie is a lawyer and property manager of approximately 800 residential units in the Toronto area that she has managed for over 12 years.  Edie considers housing a human right and hopes that governments and their private sector partners will consider putting an emphasis on affordable housing.  Edie hopes there  will be a multifaceted approach including the building of  affordable rental housing and building of small affordable houses in areas close to Toronto in transit hubs. When renovating apartments Edie always considers whether she would be able to live in the apartment- She shops for high quality items at affordable prices and makes sure what she is offering to the public is something that she considers suitable for herself.

  • DIRECTOR – Kehilla Affordable Housing

    Josh works as a Development Manager for a Toronto-based real estate developer/builder. He is responsible for managing the planning and entitlement approvals of residential development projects throughout the GTA. He is a Full Member of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute and a Registered Professional Planner, as well as a Member of the Canadian Institute of Planners.

    Volunteering with Kehilla allows Josh to practice his favourite Jewish tradition of Tikkun Olam,(repairingl the World), a concept that emphasizes community involvement and social responsibility to make the world a better place for future generations and aligns closely with Kehilla's efforts to provide affordable housing by helping to ensure people have access to basic needs, including shelter.

  • DIRECTOR - Kehilla Affordable Housing

    Ariel is the Director of Mortgage Origination at Canada ICI, specializing in CMHC-insured financing. Recognized for his collaborative approach and ability to navigate complex transactions, he works closely with stakeholders to deliver practical solutions and successful outcomes. Ariel is passionate about finding opportunities within challenges and helping projects achieve their full potential.

    A strong advocate for housing accessibility, Ariel believes that safe, stable, and affordable housing is fundamental to individual and community well-being. He joined the Kehilla Board of Directors to support its mission of providing affordable housing and to help create opportunities for individuals and families to build secure foundations for their future.

  • DIRECTOR — MARC, Avenel, and Moshav Orr

    Oren is a dedicated professional specializing in real estate development, property management, and finance. Known for his collaborative approach, Oren thrives on teamwork, problem-solving, and delivering results. Passionate about addressing gaps in current housing models, he is actively developing multiple projects in the Greater Toronto Area and Greater Golden Horseshoe. 

    Committed to creating vibrant communities, Oren focuses on innovative solutions that promote growth and alignment. Volunteering at Kehilla is deeply meaningful to Oren. It embodies core values of tikkun olam (repairing the world) and chesed (kindness). Helping provide stable, subsidized housing offers dignity, security, and hope, strengthening individuals and communities. Witnessing the transformative impact of collective